“An ancient relic?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was first taken aback, then his gaze abruptly turned to the elder who had spoken. He asked hurriedly, “There are news of the Soul Infant Fruit there?”
“Where did you get this information?” The Wind Venerable also looked at the elder in surprise, seeing that he seemed unaware of it as well.
The elder chuckled and said, “Pavilion Master Feng, I have been in charge of the matter concerning the ancient relics recently. According to the news today, some beast clans were found at the site of the ancient relic. Some people tried to enter, but they all returned in a deplorable state. However, according to the descriptions of those who managed to escape, there is a strange object within the relic that strongly resembles the Soul Infant Fruit. I surmise that it should be the real Soul Infant Fruit.”
“The Soul Infant Fruit is indeed an ancient item, and if it appears in such an ancient relic, it is not too surprising,” Wind Venerable said excitedly, rubbing his hands. “Xiao Yan, you are truly a lucky star. We have searched for a whole year without any results, and now, just as you have come out, we received such good news…”
“Don’t get too excited.” Unlike the optimistic Wind Venerable, the Medicine Elder was more reserved. He mused, “Now, this ancient relic has attracted many powerful individuals and factions on the continent, and it lies within the Beast Domain. Taking something from it won’t be easy. Back then, the battle for the ancient relic was so fierce that blood flowed like a river, with countless Peak Experts and Venerables perishing.”
Hearing this, the Wind Venerable’s expression also became more serious. He had experienced the brutal and cruel fight for the ancient relic back then and knew how terrible it was.
“What’s the deal with this ancient relic?” Seeing the two pondering with furrowed brows, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but ask.
“Let’s talk about it after we go down. During the year you were unconscious, quite a few things happened in the Central Region.” The Wind Venerable glanced around and then exchanged a look with the Medicine Elder. He beckoned to Xiao Yan, and under the gaze of countless eyes, the group descended from the high sky and entered the Great Hall of the Starfall Pavilion.
As they entered the hall and took their seats, Xiao Yan smiled at the Little Healer Immortal who followed closely behind. Then, he turned his gaze to the Wind Venerable. The latter chuckled, took a sip of fragrant tea, and organized his thoughts before slowly speaking, “The ancient relic, as its name suggests, is something that has been passed down since ancient times. For it to endure the passage of time, its owner must not be an ordinary person. From the completeness of the relic that appeared in the Beast Domain, its owner may very well be a Peak Expert at the level of a Dou Sage…”
Hearing this, a serious expression flashed across Xiao Yan’s eyes. Dou Sages, the near-pinnacle of this world, made him realize, as he broke through to Dou Venerable, the terrifying level they possessed. The allure of a Dou Sage’s possession was irresistible to people of this era.
“An ancient era and the present one are completely different. In the long years, numerous relics would naturally be left behind. Some may be buried or disappear over time, but others resurface occasionally, just like the ancient relic that appeared this time…”
“Every emergence of an ancient relic will bring a storm of blood and battles. The items left by a Dou Sage, as you might know, have a great allure, enough to drive people mad.” The Wind Venerable laughed and added, “The Burning Decree you practice was also secured after many bloody battles by myself and Yan Chen, taking it from that ancient relic that appeared back then…”
Xiao Yan nodded silently. He had heard from the Medicine Elder that obtaining the Burning Decree was a grueling process.
“This time, the ancient relic is probably more troublesome than the last one we participated in, especially since it appeared in the Beast Domain, the territory of the beast families.”
“Beast Domain…” Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed slightly. He had heard of this place where the entire region was the territory of beast families. Though some humans lived there, generally, the beast families held a strong sense of exclusivity. With the relic appearing in their territory, their nature would certainly make them unwilling to let humans share in the spoils.
“That’s quite troublesome…” Xiao Yan nodded softly. The difficulty of dealing with the beast families was enough to give even many strong experts a headache.
“Ah, since the ancient relic appeared, I’ve dispatched the elders of the Starfall Pavilion to pay closer attention. Originally, I didn’t want to get involved. We, who have experienced the previous relic contest, understand the cruelty of it. Getting the Starfall Pavilion involved would surely bring much trouble.” The Wind Venerable sighed, “Now, the Starfall Pavilion is basically on the blacklist of the Soul Palace, and we must always be on our guard. If something happens now that greatly weakens us, the Soul Palace will definitely take the opportunity to eliminate us.”
“Currently, Yan Chen has not yet regained his strength, so he cannot be openly involved. Without such a powerful aide, we cannot compete with the Soul Palace.” Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Although the Starfall Pavilion was one of the Four Pavilions, compared to the long-standing force of the Soul Palace, the gap was still too large.
“However, the ancient relic holds the Soul Infant Fruit. This means that, however treacherous, we must be involved.” The Wind Venerable said solemnly. The Soul Infant Fruit was extremely important, as it related to whether Yan Chen could fully recover his peak strength. If it could be obtained, the power of the Starfall Pavilion would undoubtedly skyrocket. Then, with Yan Chen presiding, even the Soul Palace would not dare to act recklessly.
Therefore, no matter the risk, they must do their best to help Yan Chen regain his peak!
“Given that the Starfall Pavilion is now at odds with the Soul Palace, and this place is also the headquarters, we must have strong experts presiding. So, the ancient relic requires someone other than the Wind Elder to go…”
Xiao Yan tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, “Teacher, this place has the Starfall Formation. You’d be safe staying here. Thus, for your safety, you must stay here.”
“With that, the ancient relic falls to me. I will do my best to retrieve the Soul Infant Fruit. Also, I’m quite interested in this ancient relic.”
“Too dangerous… You don’t understand the cruelty of the competition for such ancient relics. And you still need to find your father; nothing can go wrong there.” The Medicine Elder shook his head slowly.
“Teacher… Now, even if I encounter a strong opponent like the Old Ghost Zhai Xing, I can retreat safely. Don’t worry, I know my limits,” Xiao Yan smiled and, not waiting for the Medicine Elder to continue, turned to the Wind Venerable, “Wind Elder, please prepare a detailed map of the Beast Domain for me. The Soul Infant Fruit is up to me.”
Hearing this, the Wind Venerale glanced at the Medicine Elder, whose brows were knitted, and then nodded lightly. “Although I am worried, you are indeed the best candidate. To help Yan Chen recover his full strength as soon as possible, we must rely on you again. I’ll secure the map for you as soon as possible. Also, when you leave, take Qing Luán with you. Her family is in the Beast Domain, and she might be of some help there.”
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, not refusing the Wind Venerable’s kindness.
Seeing the two agree so quickly, the Medicine Elder opened his mouth and then sighed helplessly. Looking at Xiao Yan, he whispered, “Since you insist, I won’t dissuade you. Be careful on your journey. If you encounter anything urgent, retreat immediately. Remember, regaining your strength is not as important as you. A disciple like you is hard to find…”
Xiao Yan rubbed his head and chuckled, nodding.
After confirming the upcoming journey, Xiao Yan did not rush to set out immediately. This trip was critical for the Medicine Elder’s full recovery, so it must go smoothly. Therefore, all the intelligence related to this task needed to be comprehensive. Proper preparation would make the task easier to handle.
In the following days, Xiao Yan assumed the title of Elder of the Starfall Pavilion. Now, the Medicine Elder was the Pavilion Master, and as his disciple, Xiao Yan was also part of the Starfall Pavilion.
A young elder like Xiao Yan caused quite a stir within the pavilion, but there were no complaints. The shocking aura he displayed when breaking out of the tower had made everyone understand that his strength was more than enough for the position of Elder.
After about three days of rest, Xiao Yan had gathered all the necessary intelligence regarding the ancient relic. It was time to set out for the Beast Domain…
When the dawn of the third day appeared on the horizon, the disciples of the Starfall Pavilion training in the morning turned their gazes to the sky, where several figures stood mid-air, their clothes fluttering in the wind, exuding an extraordinary presence.
“Xiao Yan, be extra careful on this journey. If you run into trouble, retreat!” The Wind Venerable said sternly, looking at the group ready to depart.
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, turning his gaze to the Medicine Elder beside the Wind Venerable. Taking a deep breath, he saluted respectfully, “Teacher, take care. I will definitely bring back the Soul Infant Fruit for you!”
With these words, he did not delay any further. He waved his hand, turned abruptly, and sprinted towards the exit. In a flash, the group disappeared under the gaze of many.
“Old man, you have quite the disciple,” the Wind Venerable said, gazing at the direction where Xiao Yan had vanished.
The Medicine Elder nodded slightly and smiled with a sigh, “Finding such a disciple leaves me with no regrets in life. The choice I made back then was right after all…”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage